‘Peace, Love & Horseshoe Crabs’ on May 22

NEWS FROM THE DELAWARE DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL


April 30, 2010
Vol. 40, No. 139
For more information, contact Dawn Webb, DuPont Nature Center Manager, 302-422-1329, or Joanna Wilson, Public Affairs, 302-739-9902.

DNREC’s DuPont Nature Center to host ‘Peace, Love & Horseshoe Crabs’ on May 22

The DuPont Nature Center at Mispillion Harbor Reserve, a DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife facility, will host “Peace, Love & Horseshoe Crabs,” a festival celebrating the annual spring spectacle of migrating shorebirds and spawning horseshoe crabs, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, May 22 at the center and neighboring Cedar Creek Marina in Slaughter Beach. Admission is free.

The festivities will feature children’s games, music, crafts and vendors, food and a variety of fun and educational activities at eco-stations set up on the grounds. Visitors will have great viewing opportunities from the center’s large deck to check out migrating shorebirds including the red knot. Guides will be on hand to help identify the birds, which depend on horseshoe crab eggs to help fuel their 9,000-mile journey.

Parking will be available at the public boat ramp and marina, with shuttles running to the center throughout the day. The festival will be held rain or shine.

The celebration will continue from 4 to 9 p.m. at the center with a fundraiser by the Friends of the DuPont Nature Center, featuring raffles, a silent auction, BBQ platters for sale and music by the Island Boys. Admission to the benefit is free.

Perched on the edge of Mispillion Harbor at the intersection of the mouths of the Mispillion River and Cedar Creek, the center regularly offers a variety of interactive exhibits, school tours and educational programs. The center is located at 2992 Lighthouse Road, east of Milford. From May 1 through Sept. 30, the center’s regular hours are from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday, closed Mondays. Admission is free and open to the public.

For more information about “Peace, Love & Horseshoe Crabs,” or about the DuPont Nature Center and its programs, please call 302-422-1329, or visit http://www.dupontnaturecenter.org/.